Morin, Gostisbehere offer glimpse of future at Flyers' camp

Flyers prospect Shayne Gostisbehere runs a drill during practice for the NCAA Frozen Four tournament April 9 in Philadelphia. Gostisbehere showed his agility on the ice and the talent the Flyers are eagerly awaiting to develop during the team's Development Camp on Thursday.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

VOORHEES, N.J. — Late in the opening session of the Flyers’ annual Development Camp, the dozens of fans in attendance caught a glimpse of the future. Prized defensemen Sam Morin, a first round pick in 2013, and Shayne Gostisbehere, a third-rounder from 2012, moved the puck back and forth during a passing drill. They were at the center of the ice and the center of attention.

For a brief moment, the two epitomized the ideal defensive pairing: Morin, a smooth-skating 6-foot-5 behemoth, and Gostisbehere, a mobile puck mover. One day they will trade the crest of the practice jersey for one on a game sweater, but it won’t be any time soon.

The Flyers as a franchise have struggled to develop defensemen. Of the seven D-men signed to the NHL roster, none are Philadelphia draft picks. Now the organization is collecting a bevy of talented young blueliners and handling them with a patience more akin to their co-tenants at the Wells Fargo Center.

Such a mindset is uncharacteristic for a club that has for so long carried a win-now mentality.

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Gostisbehere’s cameo at the Flyers’ home building in April only heightened the anticipation for his professional career. The former Union College Dutchman played dazzling hockey over two Frozen Four games as his squad dispatched perennial powers Boston College and Minnesota to take home the NCAA Championship. In the title game, a 7-4 rout of the Golden Gophers, Gostisbehere scored a goal and assisted on two others en route to the Most Outstanding Player award. Soon after the festivities died down, he signed a contract with the Flyers.

Some speculated that he might debut with the big club in the regular season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes. Instead, he made the short trip from Schenectady, N.Y., the home of Union, to Glens Falls to join the Phantoms for a two-game cup of coffee.

He’ll likely return to the newly minted Lehigh Valley Phantoms when the season kicks off in the early fall.

“Everyone going into training camp’s goal is to make the team,” Gostisbehere said of his professional prospects. “Again, if that’s not in my future right now that’s fine. It’s great development in the AHL and it’s going to be fun.”

The Margate, Fla., native’s honesty belies the confidence he plays with on the ice. He takes over games with his skating prowess and daring rushes into the offensive zone. His goal in the national championship game was emblematic of that play. Gostisbehere dashed by two opponents before firing a wrist shot high over Minnesota goalie Adam Wilcox’s glove from just inside the blue line. It serves as the lasting highlight in a tournament filled with them.

Gostisbehere’s unorthodox background, which caused him to be overlooked once college recruiters and NHL scouts came around, has also fueled his rise to become one of the league’s top prospects. He made his way from the Sunshine State to a prep school known for basketball, Connecticut’s South Kent, to a college hockey afterthought in Union.

But he also understands the process of transitioning from prospect to contributor is often a slow one. Leaving Union after three years, for example, wasn’t a foregone conclusion as most thought.

“It was a big decision. My mom wanted me to get my degree. My degree is definitely in my future for sure,” Gostisbehere said. “I think that was one of the hardest parts, but I think for the best part of my development it was time for me to go and I believe my coaches believed that, too.”

He enters his third development camp a veteran of the six days in New Jersey. This time he’s under contract.

“It’s a little different with me being signed now,” Gostisbehere said. “I’m trying to learn how to be a pro and just have fun.”

Thursday’s session presented little in the ways of amusement. The 25 skaters spent the hour or so on the ice going through simple sitck-handling and passing drills. Yet even in short spurts, Gostisbehere’s exceptional ability with the puck was on display. Everything looks so effortless for the 21-year-old, which makes his days in the orange and black seem closer than they appear.

His defensive game, though, needs some fine tuning before he returns to the Wells Fargo Center. As most of the players left the ice, Gostisbehere stayed on to shoot on the goalies and spend some one-on-one time with new Flyers Director of Player Development Kjell Samuelsson.

“Me and Kjell have been working on net front stuff, trying to figure out ways to not get outmuscled, per se, because I’m a smaller guy,” said Gostibehere, who stands a modest 5-feet-11 and weighs 185 pounds.

Part of the challenge of his development is adding strength without sacrificing any of his mobility.

If Gostisbehere’s words are any indication, he won’t be in Philadelphia to start the season. But he’ll be close both literally and figuratively. Allentown — a city similar to Schenectady in size and demeanor, Gostibehere noted — welcomes the Phantoms to the Lehigh Valley.

“It’s a whole new feel. We’re starting in a new place. I was only (with the Phantoms) for two games, but the coaches were great,” he said. “The players were just awesome. They took me in great. Again, you get to learn and develop down there. There’s definitely a little pressure. It won’t be like the big stage. But it’s a great place to develop as a player.”